MONMOUTH MP David Davies has upset several Abergavenny groups with his response to concerns about the cut in funding for the Welsh Refugee Council.

The decision by the Home Office to cut the WRC's funding by 58 per cent prompted Jeremy Gass of Abergavenny to send an email to Mr Davies questioning the reasoning behind this.

Mr Davies responded: "We haven't got any money and I don't know why we're giving anything to the WRC." In a later email he said: If people have been refused the right to stay I think they should be expected to leave and not have their legal bills paid for endless appeals."

In response, several local organisations joined forces to compose a letter to Mr Davies criticising his stance. The letter was signed by Penny Harding, of behalf of the Abergavenny Meeting of Society of Friends, Glenyss Holland, on behalf of St Mary's Mothers' Union and Katrina Gass on behalf of Abergavenny Asylum Network.

In their letter they state: "We wish to express our concern about your recent response to questions about the government's 58 per cent cut to the budget of the Welsh Refugee Council. The draconian cut will result in the reduction of the staff team in Newport office from six to two. However there is no indication that there will be any slowing down of the level of dispersal to centres within Wales.

"We cannot understand your reasoning when you say you don't agree with funding the WRC. As you will know, the WRC offices in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham are funded to deliver the Home Office's dispersal programme."

The letter highlighted the fact that their concern is a humanitarian response to the dire situation which fellow human beings are faced with - no home and no income.

Since 2004 an informal network of friends has been developing links with the Newport WRC office, starting with a picnic organised by them for 50 asylum-seeking families in Linda Vista Gardens, Abergavenny.

On another occasion the network organised a social event in the Methodist Church Hall in Castle Street and a day of arts events for asylum seekers' children.

There have been regular donations of food and cash for the Crisis Fund, and the Methodist Church has made regular collections of food and for several years has sent a harvest gift to the WRC.

The Abergavenny Quaker Meeting has identified the support of asylum seekers as a concern and will continue to contribute funds to support the work of the Newport office.

St Mary's Mothers' Union has been supporting the WRC team in Newport for many years with donations of baby clothes, food and other clothing.

Speaking to the Chronicle Mr Davies said: "The government hasn't got any money, we are £1trillion in debt because we spend £170billion a year more than we receive in taxation and we're having to borrow money each year.

"What we have got we need to prioritise. There has been widespread abuse of the refugee situation over the last 10 years where people turned down for asylum have put in multiple applications funded by the taxpayer, that abuse has to stop.

"The nation's population is increasing by more than 200,000 a year and that puts enormous pressure on housing across the UK.

"The population has grown enormously and we need to build new houses but people object if Monmouthshire allows houses to be built on greenfield sites. The county council has to identify sites in their new Local Plan for 4,000 new homes to be built in the next 10 years."

Mr Davies said he has no problems with other nationalities coming to Britain to live. He added: "I'm married to someone from Eastern Europe and my sister-in-law is Chinese. But there are too many coming into our country, and they should obey our rules and speak our language."